Torn
by j7r3l
Summary: Hermione is torn between two: Draco and Ron.    Better than it sounds I promise.  Mostly Dramione.
1. Chapter 1

The sound of screaming echoes through the house. My head snaps up and I go completely still.

Another round of screaming is heard and I start fast-walking towards the room in which Bellatrix is interrogating Granger.

"Draco?" my mother asks, raising a slender black eyebrow at me.

I glance at her and keep walking. She shrinks back from the ferocious look on my face and then seeming to snap out of it she calls after me, an urgency in her tone as I slam open the doors.

Bellatrix is crouched over Hermione, wand pointed toward her. I see the tears running down Hermione's face, the word 'mudblood' scratched in her arm, and then my wand's out.

"Avada Kedavra!" I scream, my face contorted with rage.

Bellatrix falls back onto the ground, the curse hitting her full in the chest. She goes still and her glassy eyes stare up at the ceiling, unseeing.

I stare at her in disbelief, bile rising up in my throat at what I'd just done. Hermione lets out a whimper and my attention is drawn to her.

I crouch beside her, "I'm sorry," I whisper, reaching up to brush the tears off her cheeks. I'm not sure which I was apologizing for. Killing Bellatrix in front of her or her torture.

"Why?" she croaks, her wide brown eyes coming up to meet mine, "Why'd you save me?"

I study her face for a moment.

"Because you're the only thing in my life worth saving."

She looks up at me and then I'm kissing her, moving to hover over her. She wraps her arms around my neck.

That's how Weasley, Potter, and the elf find us a moment later.


	2. Chapter 2

I scramble to my feet beside Draco.

Ron lets out a growl and charges toward Draco, swinging to punch him in the face. Harry grabs him just before he punches him.

"Ron, please," Harry says, glancing between me and Draco.

"Hermione," Ron roars, "What is this? Why was he kissing you?"

He shoots a murderous glance toward Draco.

"Ron," I say, fresh tears running down my face. I'd loved him too.

He shakes his head, "No," he growls, glaring at me and shaking his head.

"Look-" Draco starts to say.

Ron cuts him off, "Don't!" he glares at him, "I don't want to hear it!"

Draco is silent, but there's a steely look in his eyes as he stares at Ron.

"Guys can we please just get out of here before-" I start to say but the doors bang open and Lucius walks in, wand raised.


	3. Chapter 3

Everyone starts to pull out their wands, even me. "Drop the wands," my father commands, glancing over everyone, gaze lingering on me, "Draco, out of the way."  
>I look into his gray eyes, so like mine, and a memory springs to me of him trying to teach me Expelliamus. - "Hold your wand higher, Draco," he says. I do as he says, "Expelliamus!" I cry, aiming the wand at my father. It misses him and hits the plant behind him instead, the pot shattering into a million little pieces atop a pile of soil.<br>"Expelliamus!" my father yells. The spell hits me full in the chest and sends me flying backwards onto the grass.  
>He just stares at me coldly as I try to get up.<br>"Quit being a child, Draco, stand up."-

He'd forced me to be a Death Eater. Just like him.  
>My nose crinkles in disgust. I didn't want to be like my father. Not at all.<br>"Draco," my father repeats, "Move. Out. Of. The Way." His eyes sharpen in anger.  
>"No," I say, moving in between them and pointing my wand at my father's face.<br>He narrows his eyes, "Draco, this is your last chance. Move!" he demands, raising his wand to meet mine.  
>I narrow my eyes, "Ex-" just then someone tackles me from behind, grabbing both my wand and Bellatrix's out of my hands.<br>I spin around to see Harry looking at me with calm green eyes, my wand in his hand.  
>"What are you doing?" I ask.<br>"Saving you from doing something you'll regret," he replies, turning and walking over to Granger, Ron, and the elf.  
>The elf snaps his fingers and I turn to see my father throwing a knife into the mix.<br>The last thing I see is Hermione, staring back at me, worry creasing her brow, sadness and fear in her eyes.  
>My father grabs me and spins me around to face him, "This isn't over," he hisses, "The Dark Lord will not be thrilled."<br>He spins around and walks out of the room. 


	4. Chapter 4

We land in the backyard of Tonk's parents house, me landing practically on top of Ron.  
>I move away, thinking of Draco.<br>He reaches over and touches my cheek, "Do you love him?" he asks, his eyes serious.  
>I look up into his blue eyes, "Ron-," my voice cracks and I look away, "I- I love you too Ron. I love you both."<br>"You can't have us both, Hermione," he says quietly, then turns and walks toward Harry, his shoulders rigid.  
>I sigh, heavily, my shoulders slumping in defeat.<br>That's when I hear Harry's sobs. I look up to see Dobby in his arms.  
>"Harry Potter," Dobby whispers, then his eyes go blank, staring up at the sky, unseeing.<br>That's the second person today, I think sadly.  
>I turn and look out over the fields, thinking of Draco. It all started in Sixth Year.<br>I'd noticed the troubled look constantly casting over his features, the way he snapped on everyone, and had no one to help him. I could tell he'd gotten himself into something he regretted and couldn't get out of. He needed help.  
>I'd passed him in the hallway once, just us two in the whole school it seemed.<br>The look on his face made me stop.  
>He looks over at me, glancing me up and down, "What do you want, Granger," he sighs like talking to me is taking him an effort.<br>I tilt my head to the side, assessing him, "Are you okay?" I ask quietly.  
>He looks at me, really looks at me, his sad gaze boring into mine.<br>"I'm fine," he snaps but his eyes betray him.  
>"No your not, Draco," I say, reaching my hand out as if to touch him and then dropping it. I sigh and look out over the corridor, "Listen. I know we're not exactly friends but-," I look up, meeting his gray eyes, "I can keep a secret."<br>He studies my face.  
>I look at him for a long moment then turn and walk away, disappearing into the Potions classroom.<br>Then later that day I'd been sitting in the common room reading, when the portrait swung open and Draco walked in.  
>He sits down next to me on the couch.<br>"How'd you get in here?" I ask.  
>He holds up a piece of scrap paper, "Found it in the hall."<br>I smile a little and shake my head, "Neville."  
>He looks down at the fire, his eyes going unfocused, brow furrowed in thought.<br>I study his profile. His eyes are like ice or steel. I have the sudden urge to reach up and trail my finger along his pointed jaw.  
>His eyes shift toward me and he swallows hard, "I- he hesitates and looks back down at the fire, and then he pulls his sleeve up to reveal the Death Eater mark that would forever be imprinted into his arm.<br>I gasp in surprise, "Your a Death Eater." I say, my voice going hard.  
>His eyes shift up to meet mine, an apology on his face, "I was forced," he starts to say but I'm already shaking my head.<br>"You're just like your father," I growl, standing up.  
>He shakes his head, standing up too, "I knew I couldn't trust you," He glares down at me.<br>I soften a little, "Draco, I didn't know you'd-" I indicate to his arm.  
>His eyes soften slightly, but his voice stays hard, "I didn't have a choice." He looks away, jaw working in anger.<br>I look up at him, "You always have a choice, Draco."  
>He looks back down at me, eyes troubled, "They were gonna kill me if I didn't!"<br>My eyes harden, "Maybe," I say slowly, "That would've been best."  
>He goes still. I'll never forget the look in his eyes that moment; full of sadness, pain, and despair.<br>He shakes his head, "Goodbye, Granger," He turns his back on me.  
>I reach out and grab his arm. He stops, but doesn't turn around. "It's selfish to do something just because they were gonna kill you. You should have fought." I say quietly, "It's better to die for something you love than for no reason at all."<br>He turns around, slowly, and then he's kissing me, pulling me closer to him, his arms wrapping around my waist.  
>I kiss him back with everything I have.<br>We pull away from eachother a moment later, breathing heavily and staring at eachother in wonder.  
>"I-," he glances away, "I gotta go."<br>He turns and hastily leaves the common room, the portrait swinging shut behind him with a final click.  
>I stare at the back of the door for a moment, wondering what in the world I'd just done.<p> <p>


	5. Chapter 5

I stomp back to the slytherin common room, furious with myself. How could I have kissed her? A mudblood? Let alone that mudblood. The know-it-all. Telling me I should have died.  
>Oh, if father knew...<br>I shake my head, shoving my fingers through my hair. Unbelievable.  
>I step into the common room and walk quickly up to my room.<br>Everyone is asleep, their snores echoing throughout the room. I fall into bed but I find I can't sleep.  
>I keep replaying the kiss in my mind. Of Granger's lips on mine, my hand entangled in her curls.<br>I roll over onto my back with a sigh.  
>I kissed a Gryffindor. I killed my cousin.<br>I'm a death eater.  
>I'm just like my father.<br>I lean up and put my head in my hands.  
>"'They were going to kill me!' 'Maybe that would have been best.'"<br>A million images flit through my mind.  
>My face in the bathroom mirror, eyes sunken in, lips shaking, face troubled.<br>Granger looking at me, tears in her eyes.  
>My father glaring down at me disapprovingly.<br>Voldemort, a triumphant smile on his face.  
>My father's hand on my shoulder, a threat in and out of itself.<br>Harry looking at me with pity.  
>My mother, smiling. My father laughing in one of his better moments.<br>Granger raising her hand in class, an eager look on her face.  
>My classmates, none of them actual friends.<br>The death eater mark on my arm.  
>Bellatrix lying dead on my floor.<br>My mother throwing herself in front of me.  
>This was never going to end. The good and the bad. It would always be like this.<br>Once a death eater, always a death eater.  
> <div> 


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